(Continuing series)
What is the pork barrel?
In the Philippines, it is the budgetary allocation given to members of the Congress and the Senate. In 2006, the amount was P70 million for each member of Congress, and P200 million for each member of the Senate.
The term “pork barrel politics” usually refers to spending on what is intended to benefit a politician’s constituents, in return for their political support. Recently, however, the most widely known reference to the term would have to be the 2013 Philippine pork barrel scam.
As the future of the country, the youth is our nation’s prime asset. It is the country’s duty to support and care for its children. In turn, the youth has an obligation to be involved in the affairs of our nation, and not to stand by idly when scandals arise.
With the recent pork barrel scam, the call for the young to engage and participate in the citizenry’s campaign for better governance is even greater.
Corruption in the Philippines is not only deeply rooted, but also institutionalized. It has become the norm, a way of life. And, to put it bluntly, the wrong seems to have become the right—because everyone else does it.
What’s even more scandalous is that those accused of stealing flaunt their lifestyles with neither shame nor guilt. If this has become the norm, how do you put a stop to it? The problem is so complex that we should start examining our own values as a people.
Government officials and their cohorts seem to have forgotten even the most fundamental of human values. Maybe they should go back to the basics—all the wealth accumulated in one’s life cannot really be taken to the grave or the next life. If you truly love your family, would you want them to pay for your sins because of karmic justice?
Bare essentials
Maybe lessening the pork barrel allocations would minimize corruption. The creation of a combined public and private audit would minimize political dishonesty. Perhaps the government can create a “log-in” system where anyone can access information on publicly funded projects and expenditures. (All these are available online, under the General Appropriations Act, Department of Budget and Management site.)
If we strip the issue down to its bare essentials, it all comes down to accountability. It’s like us kids—when our parents give us an allowance, we are obligated to report expenditures honestly.
Before we can move forward, however, we appeal to President Aquino to make a strong stand, so that those guilty are held accountable and the sums stolen rightfully returned. If even half of the stolen amount is returned, the money could still go to the right projects.
It is only after these past wrongs have been made right that we may have a chance to work on other major issues, like the education of the masses (to vote wisely) and the provision of proper health care for all Filipinos.
Naming and shaming no longer work for calloused thieves. The wrong must be made right. No man is above the law.
May truth and justice prevail in this time of deceit and disillusionment—for the sake of this generation, and of other generations to come.
To better understand the effect of the pork barrel scam, and to better grasp the extent to which it has rocked the youth, I’ve asked kids my age this question:
What do you think of the pork barrel scam, and how can the public stop government officials from abusing this power?
Indifferent
“Many of the young people I know are indifferent. Were it not for the media’s sensational coverage of the Janet Napoles case, the pork barrel scam and abuse of privilege would have remained an obscure issue.
“Clearly a lot more needs to be done. The true victims here are the organizations in need which should have been the beneficiaries of the pork, and the Filipino people whose taxes funded the pork.
“I believe that vital to any solution are neutrality and accountability. The pork barrel budget should be reallocated to a neutral third-party organization that will disburse funds directly to selected beneficiaries. The beneficiaries should be held accountable for the funds they receive. Both parties—the funding organization and the beneficiary—should be subject to periodic audits by an independent body selected by the taxpayers. It may sound simple and easier said than done, but it just might work.”—Abigail Theresa F. Cancio, 16, high-school senior, St. Paul College Pasig
Unscrupulous
“Pork barrel is a government fund supposed to be used to help the people, but what happened is that many unscrupulous people, especially the corrupt, have used it for their own good, especially some of our government officials. We can stop them by putting them in jail if guilty.”—Paola Lianne De Leon, 18, out-of-school youth, Caloocan
Injustice
“I think the pork barrel scandal is an injustice, especially against people in need, those who are victims of calamities such as wars and typhoons. The money stolen could have been used to help them. It could’ve been more useful to the people of the community than to the senators collecting it.
“The money itself belongs to the people who are paying taxes. It’s supposed to be used to develop the country. To prevent things like this from happening again, the government should show the masses where their taxes actually go. The taxpayers should be able to acknowledge the changes brought to them and their country.”—Karl Escovidal, 16, freshman, University of the Philippines Manila
Devastating
“I think it is really devastating that despite the government’s anti-corruption statements, the Philippine government is in the middle of another scandal. It’s really disappointing that people are scamming the government and the taxpayers for their own personal gain, but it is also upsetting that authority figures within the government are allowing these things to happen.
“Janet Napoles and the government officials who have been abusing the system couldn’t have done it overnight, nor could they be the only ones, so why is this corruption not being reined in and stopped?
“I think the only way to prevent or minimize corruption is to make every government transaction completely transparent to the public.”—Tamara Gibb, 17, high-school senior, British School Manila, Taguig
Good intentions
“The pork barrel scandal is what government corruption is all about. While pork barrel, as well as other rules and laws, were imposed with good intentions, it was easily manipulated and has become the kind of scandal that has had people marching and protesting at Luneta and Edsa. The scandal should be enough to help the government understand the problem, as well as question the integrity of those who were put in charge but who abused their authority and responsibility to the people.
“While people can march for the abolition of the pork barrel, we also need to get to the heart of the problem to stop government officials from abusing their power—by electing those we know and trust to do what they’re meant to do as representatives of and for the people, and not take advantage of that power for their own personal profit and gain.”—Maia L. Paterno, 16, high-school junior, International School Manila, Taguig
Deeply rooted
“It saddens me to think how deeply rooted corruption is in our country. And it further saddens me that the only time we realize the extent of the damage done is when there is a whistleblower.
“This scandal serves as a wake-up call for the youth. We need to be more involved, to know the issues of our country. By doing so, we can be more vigilant and, in our little way, effect positive change as a unit. Sad to say, the abuse of power by officials has been a way of life in the government, so it seems difficult to put a stop to this. The reach is far and wide, and it is deeply rooted.
“I believe putting a stop to the abuse needs to start with me—my commitment to make an effort to know what is happening in the country, to help put a stop to small corrupt acts such as bribing public officials to expedite permits, or a policeman so that he/she doesn’t issue you a traffic ticket, etc. If we as citizens do the right thing, we will be able to break the chain of this epidemic.”—Jose Antonio P. Felipe, 15, high-school sophomore, De La Salle Santiago Zobel School, Alabang
Temptation
“Spending government funds is not the role of the senators and representatives. Aren’t they supposed to create laws? Stop giving them the temptation and the opportunity to get what is not due them. The pork barrel should be scrapped immediately. Let the department heads of our government do the allocation and spending of funds for the common good of our countrymen. Lastly, a request to our cabinet secretaries: Don’t follow in the footsteps of some of the unscrupulous lawmakers.”—Katrina Estanislao, 15, high-school sophomore, St. Paul College, Pasig
Vote wisely
“I think the pork barrel scandal just reveals to all of us that too much power, indeed, does corrupt. This leads to the abuse of the power that the people gave to government officials.
“The public can stop these officials from abusing their power by voting wisely. Stop voting for the name (political dynasties), and actually vote for the projects and laws the candidate aims to implement. If the abuse has not stopped by then, the public could also unite as one people and rally against the corruption of the Philippine government, and hopefully the Philippines will see a better tomorrow.”—Gabe Madrid, 16, high-school junior, Philippine Science High School,
Quezon City
Return the money
“The culprits and the senators should return the money. They are setting a bad example for the youth.” —Benj Lopez Roy, 17, high-school junior, International School Manila, Taguig
Demand transparency
“The pork barrel scandal opened the eyes of Filipinos to the reality in our government. It made us realize that corruption in our country can no longer continue, which we emphatically said at the Million People March. The pork barrel system may allow leaders to use our taxes for the common good, but it also helped a lot of them benefit from the funds in a personal way.
“If we do abolish it, where will our taxes go, and what will happen to the people who benefited from it through schools, hospitals and other projects? If we fight for reform, then we will be able to fix the loopholes and create transparency in the pork barrel system, which will give way to good governance.
“We, the public, can’t totally stop government officials from abusing their power because that is the person’s choice. But we can improve our government by voting for the right leaders, and not just because we got paid to do so. We can also demand transparency in every project or program that affects us, because we have the right to know.”—Tabby Marinas, 15, high-school junior
Constant updates
“I think the pork barrel situation is a very good testament to the deteriorating state of our government. It shows exactly how elected officials are capable of manipulation, corruption and deceit. In my opinion, an issue such as this could be solved if more transparency was added to the budgetary system. The people should be given constant updates as to where funds such as the pork barrel go.”—AJ Pineda, 16, high-school junior, Beacon International School
Prioritize
“It is obvious that the pork barrel is not a working system in the Philippines because of all the injustices that have been brought upon us. The system itself is not the problem, because if used properly, many people will benefit from it.
“The problem with this situation is that many of our government officials misuse it for their own benefit… We have politicians who are merely famous people who want to try and serve in government when they don’t really know what to do. On the other hand, we also have politicians who are eligible for the position but are not capable of making laws and just put the money into their pockets. The effects of these are lethal, since the future of our people is jeopardized.
“At the same time, there is little to no improvement from the so-called ‘governmental projects’ that many politicians claim to be working on. This is evident in our lives, since all of us experience hardships because of the lack of services from our government. Having streetlights on a major road is necessary, all the more when it is constantly being used by thousands of people every day. These things are supposed to be prioritized by the government, but because of the pork barrel, these needs are not met.
“The public can prevent government officials from abusing us by voting for the responsible and the trustworthy, and by changing the system to prevent politicians from keeping the money for themselves.”—Ged Poe, 16, high-school junior, Xavier School
New laws
“I think that the pork barrel scandal needs to be thoroughly investigated, and let all guilty parties be charged in court. This scandal has shown the true colors of the government, and has been an eye-opener for the public. Over the last few weeks, it has also been fought over and disputed, so the public should clamor for new laws to prevent these kinds of abuses from happening again.” —Luis Recto, 16, high-school sophomore, British School Manila, Taguig
Minimize temptations
“The pork barrel should be removed because it’s a temptation to public officials. I don’t think there is a way to stop corruption since it has already become part of the system, so just minimize all temptations or chances of it.”—Kyle Maxine Romero, 16, freshman, University of the Philippines Manila
Abolish ‘pork’
“Although the pork barrel was initially implemented for the development of the Philippines, there is no doubt that its abolition will be better for the country. The scandal has shown how flawed the Priority Development Assistance Fund is, and the extent to which it can be exploited and abused. Corruption in the Philippines is a major issue; the public must make smarter and more informed choices about the officials they vote for during elections.
“Hopefully, movements like the Million People March and the use of social media (Twitter, Facebook) to name-and-shame those involved in the scam will show government officials that they cannot get away with such immoral, illegal and corrupt acts.”—Katerina Sicat, 18, freshman, University of Pennsylvania
‘Maging maingat’
“Sa tingin ko dapat panagutin ang dapat panagutin. Sana mas maging maingat ang gobyerno ngayon at maging aral ito para sa kinabukasan. At sana rin pagtuunan na lang nila ng pansin ang giyera sa Mindanao.” —Mark Joseph Solomon, 16, out-of-school youth, Paco Market, Manila
Have values
“The pork barrel scandal really hurt the common people because they work hard and pay taxes as responsible citizens.
“Government officials should first have values. If they know what respect is, they will not do this to the people.
“The public should keep an eye on the said pork barrel, checking if it is really used for government projects.” —John Philip R. Sta. Ana, 14, high-school junior, CJ Learning Center, Cardona, Rizal
Be vigilant
“The pork barrel fund is a big breakdown of the system of checks and balances in the government. Considering that it had been going on for decades, it’s no wonder that there’s so much poverty in the Philippines as a result of it. If this goes unpunished, then we will be saying that crime pays in this country and that we will allow other such schemes to flourish in the future. If the system of checks and balances in a democracy is to work, it must begin with every citizen being more vigilant, and harnessing the power of social and mass media for issues such as this.”—Robert D. Lopez, 14, Grade 8, International School Manila
